Florida minimum wage now $8.56 per hour outpacing federal minimum by $1.30

The State of Florida passed a constitutional amendment, reported by Historic City News in 2004, that set the minimum wage paid locally above that required by federal law.  The minimum wage in Florida is adjusted annually to keep pace with inflation.

Effective today, a 10-cent adjustment moves Florida’s minimum wage from $8.46 per hour to $8.56 per hour; more than $1.30 above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.  The minimum wage for tipped employees in 2020 will be $5.54 per hour.

However, the Supreme Court signed off on proposed language in mid-December allowing a controversial ballot initiative (Amendment 2) to appear on the November 2020 ballot.  Which, if passed, puts us on the fast track to a $15.00 per hour minimum wage in Florida by 2026.

Orlando lawyer, John Morgan, and his supporters, obtained the required 766,200 signatures needed to qualify the so called “Fair Wage Amendment” for a slot on the 2020 ballot.

Support for the Amendment is not universal, with several business owners arguing that it will lead to staff cuts and a reduction of hours for existing workers.  To be certain, readers can expect plenty of ads and advocacy for and against the measure between now and November.